The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-27
LOST A RICH BONANZA.
ADVENTURES OF AN EXTRAOR-
BINARY WIFE HUNTER.

Brace of Gallant Colonies Play Inter-
esting Star Engageme nts.
From the Neto York Star.
| A dramatic scene occurred in the hand
some lobby of the Hoffman House early
Monday evening. A tall, powerfully built
man, with an intelligent face and flashing
dark eyes, stood over Col. Frank A. Burr,
the well-known journalist, and with an up
lifted knife, threatened to send him to an
other sphere. IF you tell the TRUTH" he
was heard to say, ~ will kill you tomorrow
morning"
Despite the fearful threat Col. Burr did
not look frightened He coolly leaned his
left arm against one of the big pillars in the
beautiful corridor, and calmly looking the
man in the eye seemed to invite further con-
! ference.
| Col. Tom Ochiltree, hearing the threaten
ing words, rushed to the spot, supposing his
| fellow Colonel's life was in danger. The
| journalist assured him there was no cause
| for alarm, and added that he would join him
presently The tall man then closed his
knife and walked away. Remember" said
! he as he departed, ''if you tell the truth to-
morrow morning am a ruined man, and
| will kill myself, before doing SO, however,
will kill you"
| To the people who clustered about him
| Col. Burr said that the man was George ID.
Lawson, once well-known journalist.
"You should have shot the fellow down."
| interrupted Col Ochiltree impulsively
"Oh, no. returned Col Burr, who had
smelled gunpowder on many a battlefield,
that fellow wouldn't kill anybody" and
then he proceeded to unfold tale.
THAT man, said he, ''has been married
several times, and one wife at least, by
whom he has had three children, know to
be living. accidentally heard the other day
| that Lawson was about to be married to a
charming little lady who is the editor of
weekly publication in this city, and who re-
sides at haywood, n. j. / was astonished
to hear this, knowing that Lawson had a
| wife, and stated so to my informants, and
they then told me that it was certainly my
duty to write to the father of the young
lady, informing him of Lawson's character
and of the fact that he had wife, and l did
soo
1t appears that Lawson visited his in
tended shortly after her father had received
Col. Burr's letter, and the angry father
charged him with having a wife. Lawson
denied this, and convinced the father that
there was conspiracy against him. He
supposed then that the matter was settled,
but the next day, to his surprise, very
ladylike little woman with three small chill
dren presented themselves at the young
lady's home at haywood. She introduced
herself as Mrs George d. Lawson. Lawson
appeared on the scene, and m the wOman'S
presence denied that he had ever married
her, although he acknowledged that he was
the father of the children.
The poor woman and the children took
their departure with a heavy heart, and
Lawson remained behind and convinced the
young lady, who had promised to become
his wife, that he had powerful enemies
working against him, and that he was an
innocent victim of base plot This had
the effect of intensifying the young ladys
affection, and she refused to believe any
| thing but what came from his lips. The
| practical old father, however, believed that
Lawson was not desirable son-in-law, al
though he was still inclined TO crafty his
daughter in her desire to marry Lawson
He wrote to Col. Burr, telling him Lawson
| had denied his statement, and, requested
| that Col. Burr would meet him at 10 O'clock
Tuesday morning at the Hoffman, House
and confront Lawson with the statement
| Lawson then came over to New York, and
| knowing the part that Col. Burr had taken,
| tried to bulldoze him, as described, when he
met him Monday night in the Hoffman
| House He opened the conversation with
Col Burr by asking the loan of 500 to en-
able him to buy his wedding suit, and
added:
''If get that girl, l am fixed" urged he
''She has an income of 5000 per month,
which will keep me very nicely. If donot
marry her, | must starve: and rather than
do that will commit suicide"
After this scene, everybody who knew
Col. Burr, had him recite the story over and
over again He was telling the story to a
| party of friends, among whom was Charles
P. Bacon, formerly law partner to Gov Hill
| "LawsonN said Bacon, scratching his
head and interrupting Col. Burr. "Why, l
| used to work with him when he was the edi-
torial writer of the Hartford Courdnt, and
lent him 500 with which he bought his
wedding suit when he married boarding
house keeper in Hartford, whom he after
ward cruelty deserted
why, know him." spoke up Royal
Merrill. "The man is one of the most re-
markable men in this country do not
know more brilliant person living than he
is; he seems to have the faculty of making
woman believe anything he tells her. Be
sides, he's fine artist. Lawson has PLAYED
the same part in eleven different cases that
l know Of R. W. Patterson, of the Chica-
| go Tribune, Alfonso Ross, of the Boston
Record, B. 7. Shillaber Mrs. Paltingtonl,
of Chelsea, Mass, L. f. Waters, of the Bos-
ton Advertiser, j. Littlefield, cashier of the
| Boston Advertiser, and Charles B. Danforth
Of the Boston Herald, and G. H. Andrews,
OF the same paper, are familiar with these
| cases.
Lawson has an interesting history. He is
the son of Sir Peter Lawson, who was dis
tinguished member of the Canadian Parlia-
ment. Lawson was educated at Trinity
College, Dublin, for the Episcopal ministry;
but, long before he took his degree, it was
evident that he was not intended by nature
to grace the pulpit. He went to Canada
and drifted into journalism, and since then
has held responsible positions on leading
papers in the United States. He is a bril-
liant man and q very scholarly writer. He
is familiar with every subject, end speaks
five different languages fluently, hut mis- pc
culiar ways always led to his discharge and
more than one newspaper has found it
necessary to announce his discharge by an
editorial paragraph.
Charles 7. Bacon tells a story of Lawson's
experience in Hartford which well illus
trates the mans character. When on the
Conrdnt he was leading editorial writer,
and a great many of his editorials were sup
posed TO be written by Senator Hawley. His
fine abilities, both as a journalist and as a
conversationalist, made his company much
sought after, and he soon was the welcome
guest of a number of the best families in
that city. When Marshall Jewell was Coy
ernor he took great fancy to Lawson, and
Mrs. Jewell frequently had him Mt dinner at
her house, and aided him materially in OBJ
| fof Ia